Isolation of Georgia variant (Georgia isolate 1992) infectious bronchitis virus but not Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale from a Kentucky broiler complex.

Integrated broiler production operations in western Kentucky have been very successful. The reason for this success includes the fact that flocks are free of many endemic diseases for a period of time, often years, because birds are raised in virgin, disease-free territory. This case report documents that importation of birds from an area with endemic Georgia variant (GA-92) infectious bronchitis virus and Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale (ORT) bacterial infection resulted in introduction of GA-92, but not ORT, to Kentucky farms. As more broiler production units locate in western Kentucky, in the early phases of operation, they may not experience the "virgin territory," disease-free advantage.